Foundation Expands HIV & STD Testing in the Castro with New Express Lane at Magnet

San Francisco, October 17 – This month Magnet, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation health center for gay and bisexual men in the Castro, unveils “Express Lane,” a streamlined system for providing tests for HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). With Express Lane, customers now have the option to either access traditional counseling with HIV and STD services, or an expedited session without counseling that gets them in and out of Magnet faster. With the introduction of Express Lane, Magnet will double the number of HIV and STD tests it provides every year to approximately 8,700.

“By dramatically expanding capacity, we are helping more gay and bisexual men improve their sexual health, which benefits the health of their partners and our community,” said Steve Gibson, Magnet director. “Express Lane makes it much easier for guys to get their regular tune-ups in a more timely manner.”

“As San Francisco AIDS Foundation approaches its thirtieth year, we are dramatically expanding free local services for prevention and care in hard-hit neighborhoods” said Neil Giuliano, CEO of San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “The thousands of more tests we’ll offer each year are central to our efforts to radically reduce new HIV infections in San Francisco and ensure access to proper care.”

HIV testing is recommended for all HIV-negative gay and bisexual men in San Francisco every six months, regardless of risk. STD testing is recommended every three months. Magnet also provides screening and testing for syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia.

“At Magnet, we are as committed as ever to serving our community, whether that’s through increased testing or by creating a space for men to connect,” said Mark Alstead, HIV Testing Services Manager “Express Lane is a big shift in how we operate, and it comes at just the right time. Guys should have quick, easy, and free access to HIV and STD testing, and now we can make that experience available to many more customers.”

Magnet is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday. All services are provided at no cost to customers, with donations optional. For information about Magnet, or to make an appointment for existing clients, visit www.magnetsf.org. To learn more about San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s array of free local services, go to sfaf.org/client-services.

About San Francisco AIDS FoundationNo U.S. city experienced epidemic levels of HIV faster than San Francisco. At San Francisco AIDS Foundation, we work to end the epidemic where it first took hold, and eventually everywhere. Established in 1982, our mission is the radical reduction of new infections in San Francisco. Through education, advocacy and direct services for prevention and care, we are confronting HIV in communities most vulnerable to the disease. We refuse to accept that HIV transmission is inevitable. For more information visit sfaf.org or facebook.com/SFAIDSFoundation.

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We believe that San Francisco can be the first U.S. city to end the HIV epidemic. Everyday, we provide free prevention and care services to people in hard-hit neighborhoods—and advocate for them to public officials—because we can envision the day when we beat HIV.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation which has been granted tax exempt status under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our Federal EIN is 94-2927405 and our California corporation number is C1241510.